By Jed
We didn't know much about the Salar De Uyuni and the sights in that region because descriptions were vague but enthusiastic. So despite the crazy adventure to even get to the start of it, we concluded it must be worth it. We mustered up the strength to take another long bus ride and overnight train to the small town of Tupizia to start a 4 day tour, the only real option for independent travelers to see it.
The trip got started early on day 1 and we were placed with a another couple, from the Netherlands, for the duration of the trip (a last minute switch occurred when our original pair came down with the standard “Bolivian Stomach Bug”). As we began, I started to feel uneasy as the mud roads and sheer drop offs had my pulse racing. The scenery was worth it though; desert landscape with red rock faces reminiscent of Arizona or Utah in the foreground and snow-capped mountains in the backdrop. This is the area made famous in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid! After visiting an ancient abandoned town, we got as high as 16,000 feet (4855 meters) before settling down for the night in very basic accommodations (one bathroom for 20+ people).
Day 2
The second day was definitely a highlight. It started with a couple of beautiful lakes, complete with mountain reflections and pink flamingos enjoying it all. We then arrived at a volcano with a seafoam green lake in front of it. Despite its beauty, it is not a good idea to touch the green lake as it is full of arsenic. There were some interesting sites at the lake too, including a very cuddly-looking wild fox and a band which randomly decided this was a good place to jam.
The second day was definitely a highlight. It started with a couple of beautiful lakes, complete with mountain reflections and pink flamingos enjoying it all. We then arrived at a volcano with a seafoam green lake in front of it. Despite its beauty, it is not a good idea to touch the green lake as it is full of arsenic. There were some interesting sites at the lake too, including a very cuddly-looking wild fox and a band which randomly decided this was a good place to jam.
After a while outside in the cold air, it was time to check out a small hot springs. From there, the unique landscape continued to change as we visited some very cool looking geysers. The sulfer smell was pungent and the steam and boiling mud rising from the earth certainly made this look like a hellish landscape. There were points were mud was literally flying out of the ground and over our heads.
It seemed like we had already packed in a full day, but we still had one place left to visit; one of the strangest natural phenomenons I have seen. You could see the red color from a distance as we pulled up and it became jaw dropping when we stopped in front of the massive, red lake. And I don't mean just a little red tint, it was pure, blood-red. The color apparently comes from the billions of algae in the water. Although the lake is quite expansive, it is very shallow and so you can see the colored algae shining through. In the morning, the algae are not colored, but the sunlight powers them and by the end of the day they are bright red, giving the lake its truly unique color. There is also a mountain in the background and thousands of flamingos in the water to enhance the beauty of the landscape even more. Truly a rare and wonderful site .
Day 3
After an eventful second day, and the main event tomorrow, this was a bit more of a relaxing day through still some nice mountain scenery. We stopped at some more lakes, inlcuding a “black lake” (but the effect of the coloring here was quite lackluster compared to the red and green lakes we had seen previously) and saw some interesting petrified rocks that had some unique shapes due to erosion.
After an eventful second day, and the main event tomorrow, this was a bit more of a relaxing day through still some nice mountain scenery. We stopped at some more lakes, inlcuding a “black lake” (but the effect of the coloring here was quite lackluster compared to the red and green lakes we had seen previously) and saw some interesting petrified rocks that had some unique shapes due to erosion.
Day 4
We woke up before sunrise to get into the Salar De Uyuni on our last day. What exactly is the Salar de Uyuni? It is a massive salt flat that was created when an ancient ocean dried up and left behind the salty earth. It is 100 meters (330 feet) deep of pure salt and it stretches as far as the eye can see (it took hours to drive through it all). The pure white surface and mountains in the backdrop makes it seem like you are in some sort of glacier, but the warm temperatures snap you back to reality. In the winter season, the shallow water surface and white ground causes a spectacular reflection of the sky that is one of the craziest things I've seen...in pictures. Unfortunately, we were there in dry season but the scenery is still incredible. The dry salt forms a unique pattern on the ground and the expansive white landscape is still amazing
We woke up before sunrise to get into the Salar De Uyuni on our last day. What exactly is the Salar de Uyuni? It is a massive salt flat that was created when an ancient ocean dried up and left behind the salty earth. It is 100 meters (330 feet) deep of pure salt and it stretches as far as the eye can see (it took hours to drive through it all). The pure white surface and mountains in the backdrop makes it seem like you are in some sort of glacier, but the warm temperatures snap you back to reality. In the winter season, the shallow water surface and white ground causes a spectacular reflection of the sky that is one of the craziest things I've seen...in pictures. Unfortunately, we were there in dry season but the scenery is still incredible. The dry salt forms a unique pattern on the ground and the expansive white landscape is still amazing
Our first stop in the salar was an island in the middle. Originally an island in the ocean, this ancient island still exists in the middle of the flat gives an excellent view of sunrise and the vast landscape. Then we traveled for hours across the salar, stopping a few times to take some photos.
One of the most fun things to do in the salar is to take some “loco” photos, as our guide called them. They are photos that make you or other objects look very small (see above). There is no photo editing tricks with these...they are all done with perspective. Since the salar is so flat and pretty featureless, you can really play with perspective, tricking your brain a bit.
After a quick stop at a random train “graveyard,” our four day trip was over. Besides the salar, we didn't know quite what to expect on these four days. It was nice being surprised along the way. It is quite the pain to make it to the south of Bolivia, but if you are in the country, you definitely have to make the journey; it was one of the highlights of our trip.
After a quick stop at a random train “graveyard,” our four day trip was over. Besides the salar, we didn't know quite what to expect on these four days. It was nice being surprised along the way. It is quite the pain to make it to the south of Bolivia, but if you are in the country, you definitely have to make the journey; it was one of the highlights of our trip.
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